Saturday, July 18, 2009

HYDERABAD: Barely three days after the State Government said it would not tolerate ragging, a first-year degree student at a prestigious college in the city was thrashed by a senior for failing to buy him notebooks.

The incident took place on the premises of Pragathi Mahavidyalaya at Hanuman Tekdi under the Sultan Bazar police station limits. The junior was being harassed over the past week, but matters took a physical turn today.

According to the police, the victim, K Kamalesh of Begum Bazar, got admitted to the B Com I Year on July 7. For the past one week he had been subjected to abuse by the senior, Devender, and his cronies who had been forcing him to show up at Amber Cafe in Tilak Nagar where he would be subjected to ragging.

A couple of days back, Devender asked Kamalesh to buy him notebooks -- a demand that he was not willing to comply with. This morning, around 11.30 am, an incensed Devender beat him up on the college premises. Shocked, Kamalesh called up his cousins -- Srikanth Dutt and Vishal, who rushed over.

By that time, Devender also called up five of his friends, said to be outsiders. In the altercation that ensued, Kamalesh and his cousins were allegedly roughed up and they reported the matter to the police who went over to investigate but the miscreants had fled by then.

“Kamalesh was allegedly being ragged for the past one week and was threatened with serious consequences by Devender if he were to report the matter to the college management,” East Zone DCP N Shivshankar Reddy said.

Kamalesh told the police that a girl student was also being ragged by Devender and his friends.

Cases under Section 4 (1) and (2) of the AP Prohibition of Ragging Act were registered against Devender and his accomplices. The accused are absconding and teams have been formed to nab them.

The police will be recommending that the college management suspend Devender.